Vacation - Day 3 - Bar Harbor

Maine is well known for its lobster fishing industry. In fact, almost 90% of all American lobsters are trapped in Maine.

On the third day of our vacation, we explored the area around Bar Harbor, Maine. The waters around Bar Harbor are prime lobster areas, and we saw thousands of buoys out in the bays. Each buoy is attached to a lobster pot, and each lobster fisherman has a unique color scheme for his buoys.

We watched this lobster boat "Jane" as it worked the waters of Frenchman Bay.



These classic wooden lobster boats are around 35' long, and are typically handled by a single fisherman. The buoy is snagged, and the connecting rope is used to haul the pot to the surface. Lobsters of the proper size are kept, and the other catch (small lobsters, crabs, fish) are thrown back into the water. The boats are closely attended by gulls who are eager to grab the smaller morsels as they are returned to the sea.

Once the lobster pot is emptied, it is re-baited and returned to the water.





There are hundreds of different color patterns on the buoys, and we got pictures of several. Can you match the buoy picture below to the buoys being used on the Jane??







(Hint: you may need to enlarge the first lobster boat picture)
Mark